Caltrans honors workers killed on the job in Capitol ceremony

CalTrans Honor Guard members pass a cone bearing the name of fallen worker during a 2011 ceremony at the California State Capital to memorialize employees killed in the line of duty. Autumn Cruzacruz@sacbee.com

CalTrans Honor Guard members pass a cone bearing the name of fallen worker during a 2011 ceremony at the California State Capital to memorialize employees killed in the line of duty. Autumn Cruzacruz@sacbee.com

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A California Department of Transportation worker who was shot and killed by a coworker earlier this week will be honored at a ceremony for the agency’s fallen employees at the Capitol today.

The purpose of the 27th Annual Workers Memorial is to remember all 187 Caltrans workers who have died on the job since 1921, including three who passed away in the last year.

Annette Brooks, a 61-year-old Caltrans supervisor, was shot and killed Monday at facility in Rio Dell after a dispute with another employee, according to reports.

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Authorities said Terry Hayse, 57, got into an altercation with Brooks around 7 a.m. and shot her several times with handgun before shooting himself. Brooks died at the scene and the shooter passed away at the hospital.

“The tragic death of this dedicated public servant is a shock to the entire Caltrans family,” Gov. Jerry Brown said in a statement after the shooting.

Two Caltrans electricians were killed in separate incidents in the last year.

Jorge Lopez died on Sept. 1 after he was struck by a tractor trailer on State Route 14 near Palmdale. Randy Whisenhunt, who worked in Escondido, passed away on Oct. 9 as a result of injuries suffered on the job, according to the agency.

BROWN BEAT: Gov. Brown is expected to speak at the 2017 Ceres Conference on global sustainability at 2:45 p.m. at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco. The conference focuses on corporate America’s attempts to minimize climate change and has attracted major companies such as PG&E, General Mills, Bank of America, Target and Nike in the past.

AWARDS: Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon will be honored as the “Public Servant of the Year” at an annual dinner for the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs this evening. The public policy center is housed at the California State University, Los Angeles, and is dedicated to sustaining the late governor’s legacy.

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